


Then came you

by allthelines



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Angst with a Happy Ending, Doyoung is J&J’s manager, Jaemin is rich and has a fancy job, Jeno and Jisung are a boy group/duo, Jisung is a sad bean for most part, M/M, Mark is PD and CEO, but there's sprinkles of fluff(?) to get you through!!, it's lowkey angsty but it has a happy ending so..., jaesung rise 2k19, like all my other fics this is incredibly self-indulgent, pseudo-sponsorship au, when will people see the light that is jaesung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 07:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18616396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthelines/pseuds/allthelines
Summary: Jisung knew his luck’s run out from the moment he bumped into Jaemin and spilled alcohol on his expensive blazer. Feelings aside, he knew there was always going to be an insurmountable gap between him and Jaemin. They had met at the lowest point in his life and the appearance of the older just magically made everything fall back into place for him. With their relationship starting off with such a huge imbalance, how was he ever going to believe it would ever tip in his favour?(aka down out of luck idol!jisung meets rich cfo!jaemin)





	Then came you

**Author's Note:**

> hi there!
> 
> i didn’t know what were the proper tags to include, but addiction is discussed somewhere in the middle, albeit it’s for energy drinks, nothing hard. so if it might be a trigger for you, please don’t continue reading!
> 
> hope y’all enjoy this (please do, i wrote this instead of study for my exam)
> 
> also, this is not beta-read, i'm going out with a bang hurdur

Jisung fidgeted in his chair, fingers locking together and pulling away over and over again as he stared across the meeting table. Even Jeno, his one and only group mate, and the most patient person he’s ever known, was starting to get irritated from his restlessness. His manager sent him a stern look at the obvious lack of attention to the meeting. Really, he should be more interested in the marketing team’s talk of the concept for J&J’s second anniversary fan concert, but all his attention is on one person seated on the opposite end of the room. Na Jaemin.

 _He’s gotten a haircut_ , Jisung thought to himself.

He didn’t get to see Jaemin often, only at meetings like these. He knew the older was busy with his own work, and not necessarily involved in the entertainment industry. Out of pure curiosity he had once asked, did he only concern himself with J&J’s promotions? Any more specific and Jisung would be afraid to hear the answer. Jaemin had smiled and replied, _yes, because the only artist I’m actively promoting is in J &J, that’s why I have to make sure everything is running smoothly_.

Jisung closed his eyes and exhaled heavily. _That’s right, that’s what our relationship is. Nothing more than an exchange of money and occasional companionship._

• • •

Slightly more than two years ago, Jisung was an idol already, before J&J was conceptualised. He was in a small company, in a group nobody remembers the name of with five other boys. They were hastily debuted so that the CEO could get returns on the money spent on their training. They didn’t hit it off from the start as hoped, and certainly didn’t make it big in the follow-up releases. With lesser and lesser funding available, everything dwindled down into inactivity for over a year despite their handful of fans’ protest. Soon, his group mates were filing lawsuits to leave the company, all except him. He was brought out alone by the CEO one day, telling him that there were plans for him to go solo instead, but they lacked investors to make it happen.

That was how Jisung found himself in a club, feeling out of place, head pounding from the loud music and incessant smoke. Most of the people were well-dressed in branded clothing for the event, things he could never dream of wearing. He recognised maybe two or three fellow idols he had met backstage, their popularity on par with his — they weren’t exactly well-known either. They were clinging onto very much older patrons, laughing theatrically in the manner idols had been coached to do so at jokes he was sure weren’t funny. In comparison to the people hanging out in groups, drinking and laughing, he stuck out like a sore thumb, staying close to the bar in hopes that at the very least, he could send a distressed signal to the bartender if something really did happened. His worst fears were confirmed shortly when he felt a cold clammy hand on his.

“You’re a shy one, aren’t you,” the lady drawled, pausing to sip at her drink. She had earrings on that looked like they could feed a family of four for the rest of their lives, coat that was definitely made of animals once alive and perfume that Jisung could distinctly smell over the smoke. The worst part was that she looked like she could have been Jisung’s mother. “Which company are you from, cutie?”

Jisung nervously withdrew his hand from under hers, stuttering his company’s name. There was no sign of recognition at the name in the lady’s eyes, but she seemed to not care as she hummed noncommittally. “What are your terms, boy?”

He shifted nervously, unsure what he was supposed to say. _Money? In exchange for what?_ All he wanted to do now was go home and sit under the shower to scrub away the clinging smell of smoke and the touch that felt dirty despite them having done nothing out of line. The lady obviously grew impatient as she rested her palm on his thigh instead, sliding it higher slowly as she leaned closer. Jisung flinched from the touch and got up from the seat, intending to apologise and run out, but instead crashed into someone behind him.

“Ah damn it, look what you’ve done,” the man cursed, eyeing the alcohol splashed on his blazer. “You. Come with me this instant and wash this out.”

Before Jisung could protest, he was grabbed by the wrist in the direction of the washrooms. The lady rolled her eyes and tutted in displeasure, but slipped away to find another person to prey on.

The washrooms were surprisingly a lot more ventilated, and the music was not as loud behind the door. Jisung took a huge breath of the clean air before turning to the man.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll pay you back for the jacket,” Jisung offered, nervously playing with the cuffs of his sweater sleeves.

The man chuckled in response instead. “You look like you’re barely out of high school. This is an expensive blazer, how are you going to pay for it?”

“I—I’m not! I’ve graduated for two years, a-and I’m kind of working,” Jisung scrambled to explain.

The man eyed him from top to toe and Jisung shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. “Ah, I know you. Your group, or ex-group, has been hot gossip around the entertainment industry lately. You’re the only one not filing a lawsuit to leave your company, why?”

Jisung looked down at his sneakers. They were scruffy and dirty from years of use, and to be perfectly honest, probably half a size too small going by how cramped his toes were feeling. He couldn’t bear to throw them out because it had been one of the first things he bought when he first started out. “If I did, it’d be hard to find another company with the bad rep. I want to stand on stage, so I can only wait it out and hope things get better soon.”

There’s no response and Jisung almost thinks the man had left. When he looked up, however, the man was leaning incredibly close, so close he could count the eyelashes of the guy if he tried.

“Sign to my company instead,” the man stated. “To pay for the blazer.”

Jisung stared at the man in confusion, mouth agape. The man backed away slightly, removing his jacket to drape it over his arm.

“You want to think about it?” He eyed his watch before returning his gaze onto Jisung. “Have you eaten yet? Let’s find a restaurant nearby, we can discuss more there instead of standing around in a club’s washroom.”

Jisung later learnt the man’s name was Jaemin, Na Jaemin. He worked in finance in a company somewhere. He didn’t own an entertainment company, but he was one of the bigger investors in a production house. He assured him that he definitely had a say in the company, just trust him. Jisung doesn’t know what compelled him to do so; maybe it’s Jaemin’s earnest eyes, maybe it’s Jaemin’s blinding smile, maybe it’s the small act of kindness he hasn’t had in a while that made him take the leap of faith.

Everything had happened in a whirlwind after that. Jaemin had bought out his contract and sent him in the direction of Chapter&Verse, the production house he would never imagine working with, much less being signed to. Helmed by acclaimed producer Mark Lee, they were known more for the hit songs they’d produced but in recent years had decided to venture into producing groups of their own. They had a four-member girl group making a name for themselves already, and were now looking at producing a boy group, or duo, so to speak. He’s first introduced to Doyoung, his would-be manager, and then to Jeno, his would-be group mate.

After that, he’s stuck into meetings after meetings with different groups of people. There was a marketing team discussing the new image they would promote him with, commercial deals he should start out with and what to avoid. There was a stylist team that meticulously spent hours taking every measurement of his and fitting him in several different outfits to determine the colours that suit him. Then there were vocal coaches and dance instructors to examine his skills, and he was glad he never slacked off in practice. The vocal coach commented on a lack of technique, but the dance instructors seemed pretty pleased overall. Throughout the meetings, sometimes he’d see Jaemin, sometimes he wouldn’t. He asked Doyoung if Jaemin appeared around Chapter&Verse often, and Doyoung said no, he’s usually busy with his own work.

Six months later, amidst the strict vocal training from Taeil (which convinced Jisung that shorter people were closer to hell), rap coaching from Mark himself and dance training from a very talented instructor who went by Ten, he was introduced to the public with a yoghurt drink commercial that earned him some fame among netizens. That evening, Jaemin appeared after a long while, and brought him out for a celebratory dinner to congratulate him on the first step into success. It’s nothing more than a casual dinner but Jisung found himself wanting the night not to end.

He doesn’t see Jaemin again until discussions for his and Jeno’s debut were underway, along with the confirmation of their group name J&J. Jaemin brought him out again, and told him he could pick where to go; it would probably the last time he could enjoy himself out in public before debuting. Jisung had scoffed in disbelief, stating that Jaemin had too much of a high hope pinned on his popularity. The older laughed, “Even if you don’t have faith in yourself, have faith in my foresight. I chose to back you for a reason.” Jisung looked out the car window in deep thought, picking the restaurant Jaemin first brought him to. It’s not a fancy place, nor has there been countless of reviewers recommending it, just a bare hole-in-the-wall shop serving Korean-Chinese food by an old lady. But Jisung could at least pretend that the warmth he felt was because he’s eating the piping hot dumplings too quickly.

When J&J finally debuted to stellar results, ranking #6 for a few hours on the daily music chart, everybody was ecstatic. Jisung called his mother to let her know he had finally made it. After the tearful but happy conversation, he found himself wanting to call Jaemin to let him know that he didn’t let him down. Just as he was repeatedly drafting and deleting a message to the older, Doyoung informed him that Jaemin was already waiting for him downstairs.

It became like clockwork.

He would see Jaemin at meetings discussing promotions for J&J, and after that, Jaemin would take him out. Other than that, Jaemin would pick him up after a schedule to celebrate something — making it top ten on the music charts, winning a trophy on a music show, scoring a variety show position, even trending for an hour on social media. Sometimes he felt Jaemin’s reasons were ridiculous, but he went with them anyway; he saw Jaemin rare enough as it was. He doesn’t want to know how Jaemin explained it to Mark or Doyoung to let him go out, and doesn’t know if Jeno might know what was going on. All he knew was that Jaemin had managed to let him stand on stage, and what he felt for the older’s support definitely exceeded that of gratitude.

• • •

“What’s got you in such a deep thought?”

Jaemin’s voice broke Jisung out of his reverie. They were in Jaemin’s car, navigating out of Chapter&Verse’s carpark after the meeting. _Like clockwork_.

“Nothing, just thinking about the fan concert,” Jisung responded, smile schooled on his face, perfected from the years of being an idol. “Can’t believe it’s been two years.”

“Time really does fly, doesn’t it,” Jaemin hummed in agreement. “Where do you want to go tonight?”

The younger stared ahead onto the roads. “I don’t know.” _Anywhere is fine with you._

“Anything you particularly crave for?” Jaemin asked. “Something you haven’t had in a long time because you’re too popular to go out these days?”

“Even if there is, it’s not like I can actually eat there anymore,” Jisung reasoned.

“Well,” Jaemin paused, focusing on the road to make a turn, “There’s always one place that we can always go to.”

Jisung doesn’t even need to ask to know what Jaemin is referring to. Fifteen minutes later, they were seated at the little Korean-Chinese cafeteria, only a few elderly customers around that would not recognise the idol. Jisung doesn’t know if Jaemin is doing this on purpose, but reasoned that the place probably didn’t hold as much value to the older as it did to him.

• • •

The fan concert was a success, and he received a congratulatory message from Jaemin right after it ended. There were occasions like these where Jaemin was too busy to meet him, and they served as a further reminder to Jisung of the imbalance of their relationship. Jaemin was a busy man who had money to throw into supporting idols when he was bored, while Jisung was the idol who basically was at his sponsor’s beck and call, only allowed to be grateful and nothing else.

• • •

In retrospect, Jisung does know how it started. Other than his own dreams of being on stage, he worked out the pattern that if he worked hard and had a promotion schedule, he could see Jaemin. Thus started multiple sleepless nights working on lyrics and perfecting choreography, hoping to hasten come backs. To cope with the lethargy and keep going, as well as not let his fellow bandmate discover what he was doing, he would drink energy drinks to remain on top of the game during practice and recordings.

It’s 7 a.m. and Jisung had not gotten a wink of sleep for a while now. He had lost track after twenty-four hours, eyes barely able to focus, fuelled only by the caffeine from the energy drinks and adrenaline his body was pumping out furiously to continue function. There’s one particular move in the choreography he just couldn’t seem to get at the right angles, and honestly it would probably help if he got some rest instead, but he forced himself to do it over and over again until it was perfected. Thirty minutes later, the door to the practice room slammed open. Jisung jumped from the scare and saw Jeno through the mirrors, arms crossed and obviously upset.

“Ah Jeno-hyung, you scared me,” Jisung whined.

Jeno scoffed. “You know what’s truly scary? Today’s the third day I wake up and I don’t see you in our dorm. When’s the last time you slept?”

Jisung had the audacity to look sheepish. “I’m just… A little too jittery to sleep from practicing for our comeback. There’s some parts in the choreography I need to iron out better before MV filming next month. I’ll meet Ten-hyung later to discuss more about it.”

Jeno turned his gaze on the younger’s shaking hands. “It’s not the come back causing you the jitters. It’s all the stupid energy drinks you’re drinking like it’s your life blood instead of getting proper sleep.”

“It’s fine hyung. I just don’t want to disappoint the fans.” _And him._

Before Jeno could argue some more, Jisung raised his hand and waved him off. “I’m almost done with the choreography, just the bridge part is left. I’ll sleep tonight, okay? I promise.”

“You’d better.”

As an idol, another thing that came with learning how to smile in every situation was lying. Smiling and pretending to laugh for the cameras was the first step. Lying was much easier after that.

Jisung waited for the tell-tale sign of Jeno falling asleep, light snores coming from the other side of their shared room before he sneaked out of the dorm. Fifteen minutes of a half-jog and walk later, he was in front of a vending machine at their company building, slotting in coins and punching the button for another energy drink. He made his way up to the practice room, making sure no one saw him before launching into hours of practice again.

When he was finally too tired to move, he sat down by the mirror to finish the rest of his drink, eyeing his surroundings. Picking up his phone, he browsed social media sites for J&J tags to distract himself from his own thoughts. Their fanbase had grown considerably, thanks to the hit after hit releases, and there were a lot of fan edits of him and Jeno. He let himself laugh a little at a gif of a funny expression Jeno pulled on one of their recent variety show appearances before going onto netizen forums to read comments. Most of the comments were from fans, cheering them on or series of unintelligible letters indicating keyboard smashes. There’s a lot of praise on how much both of them have improved over the years and Jisung smiled, happy that people were noticing. Of course, towards the end there were comments from anti-fans as well, mostly commenting that they weren’t performing as well as their senior sister group. One comment in particular, however, called Jisung out directly.

 

> [+0, -253] Is nobody curious how Park Jisung made it to Chapter&Verse after his failed boy group? I bet he seduced a rich person into sponsoring him. I feel bad for Jeno who has to promote with him.

There were a lot of fan comments replying to and attacking the original commenter in his defence, but Jisung doesn’t register them. He’s laughing harder than he did at Jeno’s funny gif, because the netizen’s right, he does have a sponsor, but his sponsor is not that interested in him; he’s just one of the many investments on the side.

Once he’d collected himself from the emotional outburst, he opened his gallery to view the only saved video on his phone. A smartly-dressed announcer introduced herself before the camera panned over to her guest.

“With me here today is Na Jaemin-ssi, APAC CFO of Nebula Holdings, ranking first in South Korea’s 30 under 30 by The Korea Economist in 2018. Jaemin-ssi, how do you feel about topping the list this year?”

Jisung had watched it so many times, he could practically recite Jaemin’s responses by heart. Regardless, he continued to watch silently, eyes never leaving Jaemin’s face.

“It’s an honour, really. I don’t think I have done much to be deserving of this rank,” Jaemin’s voice crackled through the phone’s speakers.

“The reports say otherwise, Jaemin-ssi. Other than being the CFO of a multi-national company, we hear that you’re an active volunteer and one of the biggest donors to a foundation for less fortunate families in Korea,” the interviewer states.

There was a brief pause as Jaemin smiled. “Specifically, it’s a foundation for single-parent families. I’m not afraid to say this but I grew up in one briefly before my mother remarried. Having been through that, I want to help better the lives of those who are going through the same experiences as I did. I hope more people can learn about them and reach out to them.”

“That’s very admirable.”

“Thank you.”

“I have a question here a lot of people are curious about young, successful individuals like yourself. What is it that motivated you to accomplish this much at your age? Or, what is it that keeps you going?”

Jisung felt himself mirroring the smile Jaemin was sporting in the interview.

“I had a childhood friend that encouraged me during my toughest times during my teenaged years. I’m very grateful towards this friend, because I was inspired to work towards my goals by the fact that there were people who believed I could succeed.”

 _Of course people would believe in you_ , Jisung thought. Jaemin was kind, so unbelievably kind, with so much affection to shower on people around him. He helped the unfortunate whenever and however he could. Jisung would know, he was one of the less fotunate who received a stroke of kindness from Jaemin. Jisung sighed and laid down onto the studio floor, uncaring of the dirt and sweat. He covered his eyes from the blinding lights overhead, letting his mind wander. Practice got his skills all there, be it singing, rapping or dancing. But honestly, what was it that truly got him to become a popular idol in the first place?

• • •

With a come back for a full album underway, Jisung slipped further into his dependency on energy drinks. Jeno grew increasingly worried for his teammate as the dark eye circles grew and required more and more concealer to cover up. Jisung would make mistakes during practice and after a while, even Ten stopped pointing them out because it would only make Jisung stay back after hours without sleep to practice like a madman. He would brush off all their concerns and pretend everything was fine, smiling like nothing was wrong.

On a spontaneous VLIVE a week before their come back, Jeno teased the fans as they begged for a spoiler through the comments section.

“Spoiler? Ah… What do I say? If I spoil too much the VLIVE cannot be re-uploaded,” Jeno looked cheekily at his teammate.

“What are you going to say, hyung?” Jisung laughed, playing along.

“Well, for this comeback… I’ll let you know the spoiler one week later.”

The two of them start laughing before pretending to school their facial expressions.

“There’s your spoiler! Now let’s read some other comments…”

“TMI?” Jisung pointed out. “What kind of TMI do we have?”

“I have a good one,” Jeno began. “Recently, Jisung-ie has been practicing a lot, then he drinks a lot of energy drinks after. Because of that he can’t sleep at night so now I can’t sleep either.”

Jisung briefly froze at the sudden call out before he lets out a practiced laugh. “Ah, hyung! Everybody, honestly, energy drinks are really delicious, no? I just really like the taste of it. It would be nice if I can film a commercial for one! Also, the true TMI is that Jeno-hyung has been playing a lot of mobile games at night. He hides under his blanket so manager-hyung won’t catch him not sleeping.”

Jokingly, Jeno pretended to shove Jisung. “Jisung-ah, you cannot say this on live broadcast! It doesn’t get edited out, hyung will find out!”

After more tussling and teasing, they ended the broadcast and settled back into their room.

“Jisung-ie,” Jeno called out, turning to face the younger’s bed.

“Hyung, I know what you want to say,” Jisung responded, sighing. “I know why you said it on live broadcast. I know you’re concerned, and I’m trying to quit it. Maybe after next week, after the comeback showcase I’ll feel better and stop. Don’t worry, okay?”

A loud sigh is heard from Jeno’s side of the room this time. “We’re all worried for you. If there’s a problem you know you can talk to me right?”

“I know, hyung. Thank you. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Jisung-ie.”

• • •

J&J’s newest album was a success, and the title track achieved a perfect all-kill across the charts upon release. Lots of positive comments were rolling in, and discussions were underway for a repackage album. The best part for Jisung, however, was Jaemin’s presence at the discussion session, never mind the fact that he felt sick and could probably sleep for a week if he were allowed to.

Whether the discussion went smoothly or not, Jisung did not know. All he could focus on with his diminishing attention span was Jaemin. The meeting probably ended on a good note, because Jaemin offered to buy everyone dinner, also to celebrate the good results of the come back.

Jisung stuck to a corner for most part of the dinner, feeling upset both physically and emotionally. Usually it would just be them two, but Jaemin had invited most of the staff instead. His stomach was also giving him grief, churning and making him feel nauseous despite the delicious spread in front of him. Determined to not ruin everybody’s night, Jisung escaped outside to catch a breather.

He couldn’t tell if it was a stroke of luck, or if it was because his luck was running out, because Jaemin appeared next to him in a couple of minutes.

“Are you okay?” Jaemin asked, concerned with how pale the younger looked.

Jisung tried to muster a smile and brush him off, but he couldn’t; he was miserable. Even if he tried, he couldn’t get angry with Jaemin because he was always so sweet and caring. There’s not a bone to pick with him.

“I’m okay. Just… Just wanted to get some fresh air.”

“You don’t look okay, so don’t lie to me,” Jaemin continued. “Come on, I’ve already told Doyoung-hyung. I’ll send you home first.”

The drive back to J&J’s dorm was quiet. Jisung felt he could almost hear his own heartbeat hammering erratically against his ribcage. He couldn’t tell if it was because he was finally alone with Jaemin or the three cans of energy drinks he had downed that day.

Out of the norm, Jaemin had led him up to the apartment and seated him at the kitchen counter. Jisung’s gaze was trained on the older’s figure as he rifled through the fridge.

A few minutes later, Jaemin was humming to one of J&J’s latest b-sides as he put frozen dumplings into the steamer, searching the drawers for cutlery before washing them. Jisung watched quietly and let his mind wander. If he weren’t an idol, and Jaemin wasn’t his sponsor, would they have met? Would they be in a kitchen somewhere else, just the two of them making dumplings from scratch together, playing around, having a mini food fight, perhaps?

A pair of chopsticks are slipped into his hands, breaking his train of thought. Dumplings, fresh out of the steamer, were placed in front of him.

“You’re really distracted these days,” Jaemin commented as he seated himself across the younger.

“Am I?” Jisung asked, despite knowing the answer. “I guess I just have a lot to think about. Come back periods are usually like that.”

Jaemin gestured at the food in front of him. “Eat up, you barely touched any food just now. I thought you might feel better if I brought you out to eat something else other than Chinese food all the time, but here we are, eating dumplings of all things. Do you guys not stock your fridge with anything else?”

“I’m sorry I ruined your evening.”

The older smiled. “Don’t be, it’s better like that with just the two of us anyway. I invited everyone out only so that you could eat openly outside. Guess it wasn’t a good day since you’re not feeling well.”

Jisung felt tears welling up in his eyes at the words. Jaemin did it for him. And there he had been, wallowing in self-pity and misery over nothing. He pushed the dumplings around in the plate, willing the tears away, unsure of how to respond.

“Also, even though you did manage to get a commercial deal for an energy drink, you have to stop drinking so much of it,” Jaemin added on.

“I did?” Jisung looked up, confused.

Jaemin eyed the younger, frowning. “Didn’t you hear Doyoung-hyung talk about it at the meeting?”

“I guess I was too tired to process it.” Jisung shrugged. He picked up a dumpling and slowly nibbled at it, still having not much appetite and also hoping Jaemin wouldn’t leave before watching him finish them.

“How long has it been since you last slept?”

The younger got defensive immediately. “What do you mean?”

“Jisung-ah, I might not be around Chapter&Verse much, but people do tell me things. With my stake in J&J, do you think nobody would tell me how you’re inhaling energy drinks and not sleeping?”

 _I’m just an investment,_ echoed in Jisung’s mind.

“It’s nothing. Everything’s fine. Besides, it scored me a commercial deal. It’s all good.”

Jaemin sighed. “Don’t let me hear you drinking anymore energy drinks except for the commercial, okay?”

“Okay,” Jisung agreed softly.

Jaemin sat by the table as Jisung slowly finished the food, checking through his mail on his phone. Once Jisung was done, he got up to place the dishes into the sink and ushered the younger to his room.

“I’m going off, okay?” Jaemin stated, lips curled into a small smile. He reached out to pat the idol’s head gently. “I haven’t said this to you yet, but good job on the come back. I saw the charts and the perfect all-kill. So rest well to perform just as well in the next release, okay?”

Jisung let himself lean into the touch a little longer than socially acceptable, closing his eyes and nodding. That night, he slept well for the first time in a very long while.

• • •

The rush of preparing for the repackage album began and Jeno found more and more empty cans in their recycling bin. He’d tried hiding the drinks from Jisung, but somehow, the younger would just find another way to get more. The last straw was when he found Jisung hunched over in their bathroom, throwing up from drinking way too much energy drinks. He helped the younger sit down on their couch and alerted Doyoung.

“Jisung, we have to bring you to the hospital,” Doyoung expressed, worry etched in his forehead.

Jisung shook his head. “We can’t do that hyung. It’ll delay the repackage if I’m hospitalised. I will be disappointing the fans.” _And him._

“Your health is at stake here,” Jeno protested.

“Just let me rest for the day, I’ll feel better after that. Please,” Jisung begged. “I promise, I’ll tell you if it gets worse. Please don’t bring me to the hospital.”

“We’ll do some solo recording for Jeno today first. You’re to stay put and not do anything for the rest of the day, understood?”

Jisung nodded enthusiastically. Anything to get out of being hospitalised. He watched as Doyoung threw him one last look and exhaled heavily before storming out of their dorm.

That night, he reasoned that the day was over and he was allowed to _do something_ , and sneaked out to work on the choreography in the studio. After running through two verses, the doors slammed open and Jaemin stormed in, switching off the music and grabbing him.

“What are you doing, let go of me!” Jisung shrieked, mind on high alert.

“Hospital,” Jaemin declared, face in a deadpan expression.

Jisung held onto the the door of the studio and tried his very best to squirm out of the hold.

“Park Jisung, why are you being so difficult?” Jaemin exclaimed, exasperated.

“I’m not going to the hospital with you. If you put me in the hospital the repackage will be delayed. That’s not going to happen,” Jisung hissed.

“What’s not going to happen is the repackage. You’re officially on an indefinite hiatus. I’ve already told Mark and Doyoung, they agreed,” Jaemin growled. “You’re going to collapse on stage if you continue working like that.”

Jisung stared at him in disbelief. “What?”

“You heard me. You’re not participating in any damn repackage and going anywhere near a stage until you’re recovered.”

“How could you?” Jisung bawled, tears making their way down his face. He grabbed Jaemin by the collar weakly. “Just because you have some say in this company? How could you do this to me? You don’t know how important this is to me, you’re unbelievable.”

Frustrated, Jaemin grabbed hold of the hands clinging onto the front of his shirt. “Of course I know! I’ve known for long enough how much you like being on stage, but I can’t watch you spiral down like that.”

Emotionally charged, Jisung shoved at the older before wiping at his tears with the back of his hand. “Why do you care? I’m just your investment, if I don’t promote, there’s no return on your investment!”

Jaemin visibly stiffened at the words. “Is that what you think? That you’re just my investment?”

Jisung sank down to the floor, all energy sapped out of him. Quietly, he spoke up. “That’s our relationship isn’t it? I’m an idol and you’re my sponsor. I’m supposed to work hard in front of the cameras so I earn enough to pay you back.” He paused and looked into Jaemin’s eyes. If there weren’t tears blurring his vision rapidly each time he blinked them away, maybe he would also notice the anguish mirrored in the older’s eyes.

“But I don’t know how long I’ve to work to repay you for everything. From your blazer at the beginning, to you buying me out of my contract and putting me into Chapter&Verse. It might be nothing to you but your tiny act of kindness pretty much changed my entire life,” Jisung sobbed. “It’s like I wasn’t living up to the standards I should. Then came you. Everything in my world just magically fell into place. Everything I have now still feels so surreal, and I owe it all to you.”

Jaemin softened and knelt down by the younger’s side. He lightly pressed a palm against Jisung’s cheek, thumb wiping away the tears. “Jisung-ah,” he began gently, “there’s no need for repayment. Even if there was, you already paid it forward ten years ago.”

Jisung looked up at him in confusion, eyes beginning to swell from the crying. Jaemin audibly chuckled, but his eyes conveyed a certain sadness Jisung couldn’t put a finger on. He watched as Jaemin retrieved a folded piece of paper from his wallet and pressed it into Jisung’s hands.

“I don’t know if you can still recognise this.”

Unfolding the paper revealed messy handwriting Jisung recognised as his own chicken scratch, the words ‘ _Chase your dreams, don’t give up!_ ’ scribbled untidily, accompanied by an earlier iteration of his autograph, with the J looking a lot more like an umbrella instead of a loop. There was no mistaking, however; it was complete with a signature smiley face drawn in the J.

“I think we need to get reacquainted. Park Jisung-ssi, my name is Na Jaemin and I was from Cheongil Middle School, class of 2009,” Jaemin introduced himself with a smile.

“Wha— That’s my—“

“That’s right, it’s the same middle school as yours. By right, I am your senior, so you should be calling me sunbae-nim. But since we’ve met before, I don’t mind dropping the honourifics. You can just call me hyung.”

• • •

Ten years ago, Jaemin had been headed to his hideout in school during lunch break, hoping to get a nap in before afternoon classes, never mind the fact he still had undone homework. To his surprise, however, someone else was already in the old unused store room. What was stranger yet was the student seemingly talking to himself, mumbling over and over again his name and what he was about to do.

“My name is Park Jisung… Ah, no, no. I’m Park Jisung and I’m here to show you — should I say show? I am Park Jisung and today I will be dancing —“

Jaemin interrupted with a laugh, and the boy named Jisung turned to see someone leaning against the doorway.

“D-don’t laugh at me,” Jisung stuttered. “That’s not very nice of you.”

“Well, it’s not very nice of you to be in my napping spot,” Jaemin challenged, a smile on his face. This junior was honestly really cute.

Jisung glanced about the room and retorted, “It’s not yours. This is part of the school.”

Jaemin shrugged. “I’ve been here everyday for the past two years to take a lunchtime nap, so it’s kinda mine. Even the bench you’re sitting on was moved in here by me.”

The younger boy looked down on the wooden bench he was seated on and leapt up instinctually.

“I’m not sleepy anymore though, you can continue sit, it’s fine,” Jaemin stated. He bit back a laugh as Jisung cautiously lowered himself back onto the bench.

“Why are you here all alone and repeatedly introducing yourself to thin air? Are there ghosts in here I can’t see?” Jaemin asked, curious.

“Ghosts?” Jisung exclaimed, looking around the room nervously. “I-I was just practicing for my audition with an entertainment company tomorrow.”

The older boy laughed at the reaction. “Ghosts aren’t real, silly. Are you nervous? For the audition?”

Jisung nodded quickly. He launched into a monologue on how much he liked dancing, how exciting performing on stage was and how much he looked forward to being on television in future. Jaemin listened in silence, enthralled by the younger boy and his dreams. He told Jisung just as much, too, how admirable and brave he was to go for an audition.

“What about you? What do you want to do in future?”

Jaemin shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. I just want to be successful in future so I can let my mom live a good life. But I don’t know if I can do that. I’m not very good at studying, I’m better off causing trouble.”

The younger boy looked at him in contemplation for a while before reaching into his bag for his writing pad. He tore a sheet out and scribbled on it, signing next to his words and shoving it into the older’s hands. Jaemin took the paper, confused.

“It’s my autograph!” Jisung exclaimed. “Even if you’re not super successful in future, you can sell it when I become famous. That way, you can earn money for your mom.”

Jaemin let out a laugh at the awfully sweet and kind gesture, but he folded it carefully and promised to keep it safe anyway.

“Good luck for the audition, kiddo. You gotta become a popular idol so I can profit from the autograph, yeah?” Jaemin grinned as he ruffled the younger boy’s hair.

Jisung scrunched his nose. “Let’s both become really successful, hyung. When you’re earning lots of money for your mom and I am a popular idol, will you be my fan?”

“Eh.” Jaemin mimicked the nose scrunch and pretended to be in deep thought before breaking into a huge grin. “Sure I guess.”

• • •

“I never saw you again, so I assumed you passed the audition and stopped attending classes. I didn’t get to tell you but that was one of the darkest points in my life. You probably didn’t hear about it but I got into trouble a lot for fighting with people my age every time they said I didn’t have a dad. I skipped classes, didn’t want to hang out with anyone and hid in that store room at lunch to sleep away my problems, even if it was for a short while,” Jaemin explained.

“Then came you,” Jaemin echoed Jisung’s own words, smiling tenderly at the younger, brushing away his tears. “You were the only one who talked to me without any prejudice. And you believed in me. You encouraged me to try do better.”

Jisung stared at the older, at loss for words.

“I promised to be your fan, so I recognised you when I saw you in the club that night. And you were almost the same like back in middle school. Cute, very hard not to like,” Jaemin chuckled. “I’ll let you in on another secret for today. If there’s any consolation, you don’t owe me for the blazer. I bumped into you on purpose.”

Jisung was pretty sure his jaw was on the floor from the amount of surprises he was receiving that night.

“I saw you and you looked uncomfortable. It was the first idea that popped into my head to get you out of the situation. I’m sorry if I scared you back then.”

Jaemin watched as Jisung swallowed nervously, looking anywhere but into his eyes. There’s a lull in the conversation and Jaemin had so much more to say, that _I’m so thankful for you_ , that _I’m so happy to be by your side watching you grow now_ , that _I’m sorry I can’t continue to pretend I don’t know you so that my affections won’t hinder you_. He held Jisung’s hands in his, noting the clamminess of the younger’s hands and slowly rubbed them to warm them up.

The idol looked up contemplatively, wanting to say something but unsure where to start. Ever so patient, Jaemin waited silently, gaze soft and borderline indulgent.

“Was this your plan from the beginning? To put me in Chapter&Verse? This—“ Jisung paused, removing his hands from Jaemin’s grasp to motion between the two of them, “This relationship we have now...”

He looked down quickly, unable to meet Jaemin’s eyes, afraid of the answer. He clasped his hands together but it feels nothing like the warmth of Jaemin’s hands on his.

“What do you mean?” Jaemin questioned, voice incredibly gentle, as if he’s afraid of startling a small animal.

Jisung shuffled uncomfortably, rubber soles of his shoes rubbing against the hardwood floor of the studio. Even these shoes were given to him by Jaemin to congratulate his hit variety show appearance a couple months back. “Me... being a down out of luck idol, and you... being my rich sponsor, bored with money to spare.”

“Jisung-ah, you’re not just an idol I spend money on. I do it because it’s you,” Jaemin explained. “There’s a lot about our relationship we need to talk about, but not today okay? It’s way past midnight and even if you don’t want to go to the hospital you need to go back and rest. We’ve talked a lot tonight.”

Jisung opened his mouth to protest, but Jaemin interrupted him. “We can continue this tomorrow. I’ll come look for you after work, I promise, okay?”

He held the younger’s face gently and Jisung found himself pliantly nodding. After pressing a small kiss to the younger’s forehead, Jaemin helped him up from the floor. “Come on. I’ll send you back.”

• • •

The next morning, Jisung was staring in disbelief at his manager, spoon hovering in mid-air above his milk and cereal. “You’re serious? I’m really on an indefinite hiatus?”

“Mark’s orders,” Doyoung confirmed, checking through the kitchen cabinets for hidden energy drinks. “The repackage has been put on hold. Even Jeno and I get a break. Why do you think I’m letting Jeno sleep in till now?”

Jisung scoffed, dipping his spoon back into the bowl. “Let’s be real, you’ve always been a little biased towards Jeno-hyung.”

The slap on the back of his neck was not a surprise but shocked him into choking on a cornflake anyway.

“Insolent brat,” Doyoung muttered. “Just because you have Jaemin on your side.”

Jisung ruminated over the words and coupled with the absolute lack of activities along with residual restlessness from all the energy drinks he had drank crashing over him, it soon became too suffocating to stay in the confines of the dorm.

“I can’t take it, I need to get out and go for a walk,” Jisung declared as he stood up.

“Doyoung-hyung said you’re not allowed to go anywhere,” Jeno called out from his supine position on the living room couch.

“It’s just a walk, I promise. I’m not going to the studios,” Jisung swore, raising his hand, thumb and pinky touching and three fingers upright. “I swear on J&J’s chart rankings. We will never get a perfect all-kill again if I’m going to the practice room.”

“You little shit!” Jeno shrieked, throwing a pillow in his direction. “I’m in J&J too! Touch wood, touch something made of wood now!”

Jisung’s pretty sure their shoe rack was made of an acrylic blend and painted over with some sort of wood finish, but touched it for show anyway.

“I’ll be back soon!” he yelled, slipping on a mask and escaping out the door.

‘Soon’ turned out to be a lie, because Jaemin was seated in their living room couch, worried and angry at the same time. Jisung had been gone for eight hours, was not picking up his phone and could not be found.

“You let him go out alone? Just like that?”

“He swore that if he lied and went to practice J&J would never get another perfect all-kill,” Jeno defended himself, but hid behind Doyoung anyway. “And he really didn’t go to the studios. Maybe he just needed a really long walk?”

Jaemin narrowed his eyes at the idol. “With the hours he’s gone, he’s probably walked all four hundred and ninety-four kilometres of Han River, from the start till the end!”

“Is it that long?” Jeno questioned, genuinely surprised at the fact, only to be smacked on the back of his head by Doyoung and told to keep quiet.

“Jeno might not be wrong, maybe Jisung just wants to clear up his mind after all the things you’ve said to him. Give him until tomorrow or something. Maybe he’ll come back tonight, he needs to sleep somewhere after all,” Doyoung reasoned.

Jisung, however, was still nowhere to be found the next day and Jaemin’s patience had ran thin. He barged into Mark’s office and demanded for all of Jisung’s listed addresses.

“Wow good morning to you too, Jaemin,” Mark responded at the intrusion, “It’s nine-thirty in the morning and the first thing you do is demand your little boyfriend’s address from me? Shouldn’t I be questioning what you’ve done to make my artist go missing?”

“He’s not my boyfriend. Not yet, at least,” Jaemin grumbled. “I deserve to know his details too with how much I’ve invested in Chapter&Verse.”

Mark looked at him, incredulous, wanting to argue that what he was requesting for wasn’t included in the clauses but decided to be the bigger person for the day. Besides, in the years he had known Jaemin, he had never seem him this frazzled.

“I’ve sent it to you,” Mark sighed.

Jaemin felt his phone buzz in his pocket and mumbled, “Thanks.”

Before he left, Mark asked, but it felt a lot more like he was stating a fact, “You’ve got it real bad for him, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. Yes, I do.” Jaemin didn’t even hesitate.

• • •

Jisung was blissfully unaware of the mayhem he had caused from visiting his parents on a whim. He really needed a change of scenery and had forgotten to turn his phone back on after the journey home, enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasted.

He had been ransacking the kitchen for fizzy drinks and was finally kicked out by his dad for creating a ruckus at home all morning. In lieu of the energy drinks he had been practically drowning in, he was craving for soda but there was none at home since his parents hardly drank carbonated drinks. Seeing that it was a relatively clear day, he decided to take a short walk down to a convenience store.

Upon exiting the store, happy with his purchase, Jisung sipped at his drink while the remaining cans hung from he wrist in the plastic bag, swinging with each step he took.

“Park Jisung, that better not be an energy drink.”

Jisung stopped short in his tracks seeing Jaemin, dropping his shopping bag. Hastily, he turned the can to face the older. “It’s not! This is just Sprite, I swear!”

As the older stepped closer, he noticed how visibly tired Jaemin looked. His heart ached slightly at the sight. 

“How did you manage to find me here?” Jisung asked, still slightly spooked.

“Why did you not pick up any of my calls?”

Jisung fished around his pockets and realised he had left his phone in his room. “I think I left it on my bed. I switched it off yesterday and haven’t checked it yet.”

Jaemin sighed. “Yeah, well, because of that, I forced Mark to give me your parents’ address.”

Before Jisung could say anything else, Jaemin had enveloped him in a tight hug. “I know you don’t like it, that I used my position in the company to find you. I was desperate. Please don’t do this again. Do you know how scared I was when they told me you went missing? I don’t know what to do if I were to ever lose you.”

Jisung stood still, pliantly letting Jaemin hug him, voice quivering as he spoke up, “Jaemin... hyung?”

Jaemin hummed in acknowledgment.

“What am I to you?”

Jaemin released Jisung from his hold to look the younger in the eye. “I know we have a lot of things to talk about, a lot to work out before I should say this. But I like you, I really do. If you don’t feel the same for me, it’s okay. We’ll... We’ll work it out, I don’t know—“

Jisung interrupted him with a hit to his chest, all bark but no bite, really, because the punch hardly hurt; he could never bear to actually hit Jaemin.

“You,” Jisung started, tears beginning to make their way down his cheeks. He hit Jaemin again, and punctuated every word with another hit. “Are. The. Worst. Absolutely. The. Worst.”

Jaemin caught the fists in his hands and pulled Jisung back into a hug. “I’m sorry, baby, I’m really sorry.”

“All you do is make me cry,” Jisung whined through his tears, arms tightening around Jaemin. “You could have said that from the start instead of all the other stupid things.”

“I am the worst, all I say are stupid things,” Jaemin agreed, wrapping an arm around Jisung’s waist while slowly stroking his head.

“But I like you so much despite all of that,” Jisung sniffed, burying his face into Jaemin’s shoulder.

Jaemin’s hand stopped its motions. In a cautious whisper, he asked, “You mean it?”

He felt a sharp pinch on his waist in reply accompanied by a particularly loud sniff. “Of course I do!”

The yelp he had at the back of his throat dissolved into a laugh, “M’sorry. I like you a lot too.”

He pressed his lips to the side of Jisung’s head, tickling the younger as he mumbled against his skin, “Don’t leave me again, please.”

Jisung tightened his arms around the older.

“Okay.”

• • •

Jisung woke up to soft caresses on his face and scrunched his nose at the ticklish feeling, eyes still closed, unwilling to face the world just yet. He burrowed further into the blankets to hide away from the persistent hand.

“You have to get up baby,” Jaemin teased, pulling the blankets off of his boyfriend.

Jisung groaned from the sudden onslaught of the cold morning air, curling up into a ball to retain as much warmth as possible. There was a dip on the side of the bed and he felt Jaemin kneeling next to him, gently patting his back to try get him up.

“You’ve gotta record for your new album today. Doyoung-hyung’s coming in an hour to pick you up,” Jaemin reminded him.

Jisung whined, snuggling closer to lay his head on Jaemin’s lap. “Don’t wanna work today. Tell Doyoung-hyung to give me a day off.”

Jaemin chuckled at the bratty behaviour, tugging the younger up into a sitting position. “He’s going to move you back to live with Jeno if I do that.”

“Don’t wanna go,” Jisung continued to whine, slouching forward to wrap his limbs around Jaemin, burying his face in Jaemin’s neck. “I wanna stay with you.”

Jaemin felt a warmth bloom from his chest at the words. It’s not big gestures or shouting declarations of love from the top of Namsan Tower, but little moments like these that makes him fall in love all over again.

“Jisung-ah.”

Jaemin stroked Jisung’s back so gently, the younger felt like he was being slowly lulled back into sleep. “Mmm?”

He felt Jaemin swallow against his cheek. No words follow and reluctantly, he got up to look at his boyfriend. His eyes were barely open, hair in need of some attention from the stylists, faint sleep lines on his cheek still visible from the good night’s sleep. Jaemin on the other hand was already dressed nicely, ready to go to work. His eyes shone brightly like they held all the stars in the universe, looking directly at the love of his life in front of him.

“What is it?” Jisung asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Jaemin chewed on his bottom lip, pulling Jisung’s hand into his. “We’ve been together for a while now, right?”

The younger nodded slowly. Emotions must really be contagious, because he felt just as anxious now, if not more. He gripped Jaemin’s hand in his, blurting out whatever came to his mind, “Wait, I didn’t forget our anniversary, did I? It’s supposed to be next month…?”

Jaemin laughed. “No you didn’t. You’re right, we’re about a month way from our fifth anniversary.”

Jisung heaved a huge sigh of relief and Jaemin couldn’t help but reach out to pinch his cheek. “It’s not about our anniversary. Actually, it kind of is. I just—I mean—”

He looked at his younger boyfriend and bursted out laughing. Jisung was staring at him confused, cheek still between his fingers, and his gaze was slowly turning into one of annoyance. His hair was still sticking up in all directions possible, and instead of the words he intended to say, Jaemin let slipped, “You look like an angry baby chick.”

Jisung narrowed his eyes threateningly at the older.

Jaemin barked out another short laugh. “Oh my god — You’re really gonna be the death of me. I can’t imagine a day where I don’t wake up to this. Your face is the first thing I want to see every morning.”

Jisung visibly softened at the confession, leaning his face into Jaemin’s open palm.

“What I really want to say is— I don’t think I can wait a month more till our anniversary anymore. Park Jisung, will you marry me?”

Jisung’s jaw dropped. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t a proposal at seven a.m. in the morning. Jaemin scrambled to dig through their bedside drawers, pulling out a box and opening it to reveal a ring nested in it. The younger gasped at the sight of it.

“I’m gonna be honest, I imagined this to go with more fanfare and I promise it was supposed to be a much grander affair than just us on our bed and the ring. I—oof!“

All the remaining words he has leave him as Jisung tackled him down. “I do! I will! I’ll marry you!”

The shouts quickly turned into sniffs and Jaemin didn’t even have time to register the fact he now had a fiancé before Jisung is pounding his fists against his chest. “You’re the absolute worst. Doyoung-hyung is going to kill you because we can’t do a behind the scenes recording with my swollen eyes and red nose.”

Jaemin laughed as he uncurled Jisung’s hand in his, slipping the ring onto his finger. He pressed a kiss to the younger’s forehead, his nose, his cheeks, and finally to his lips. Jisung responded by nipping at the older’s bottom lip, playfully tugging it between his teeth. In return, Jaemin licked at the seams of his fiancé’s lips, hand slipping under his sleep shirt to rest his palm on the small of his back.

“I should really ask him to give you a day off today,” Jaemin muttered softly. “And then I should take a day off as well.”

“You should,” Jisung hummed in agreement before returning his attention to Jaemin’s lips to kiss him more.

• • •

**[BREAKING] Official statement from Chapter &Verse on J&J **

“Hello fans of J&J and everyone,

This is Mark Lee, CEO and head producer of Chapter&Verse. It has been seven years with J&J, and a wonderful experience watching them grow from trainees to the nation’s idols in the past few years.

With that said, the contract with our two artistes Lee Jeno and Park Jisung have come to an end, and they have both chosen not to renew for the interim. The staff at Chapter&Verse wish them all the best in their endeavours in the meantime.

Nevertheless, this is not the end of J&J we are merely closing a chapter on their journey. There is definitely room for a reunion in the near future for our two artistes, and I would love to collaborate with them again if possible.

Thank you everyone for all the love and interest you have shown towards J&J in the past seven years.

— Mark Lee"

[+5202, -0] Ahhhhh. I was a fan from debut and they accompanied me throughout my teenaged years. I'm sad but Mark PD is right! This is just closing a chapter on their journey, we will meet again on a flower road J&J!

[+4230, -0] J&J you've worked hard for the past seven years!! I hope you enjoy yourselves on the break, see you in the near future!!

[+2303, -0] This is Mark PD indeed, always so good with words.

[+1380, -25] Aren't you all a little bit curious what Jeno and Jisung are going to do on their hiatus?

[+813, -0] Just let them go enjoy themselves, they're not idols during this period. Don't let any of us fans catch you damn sasaengs following the boys around, you hear me?

• • •

**[BREAKING] Ex-J &J member announces engagement, marriage in the works?**

Yesterday evening, Park Jisung of ex-J&J fame posted a photo of two hands held together with matching rings, along with a lengthy caption on his personal Instagram. Although it is not explicitly stated, it is speculated that the ex-Chapter&Verse artiste has gotten engaged. An insider has revealed that the couple have been together for a long time, and marriage is on the cards.

This comes two weeks after Chapter&Verse announced that both members of J&J have chosen to go on a hiatus and not re-signed with the company as of yet.

Below is Park Jisung’s Instagram post.

 

> “Fifteen years ago, fate brought us together to meet in the dusty school store room. Five years ago, fate helped us find each other again. Five months ago, you told me I was the only one fated for you and want to always call me yours. Forever might be too long but at least fifty years from now, I want to still be with you. JS ♡ JM”

[+2502, -128] Damn... How did he hide it for so long? I can hear all the fangirls hearts breaking in the distance...

[+2230, -25] Our Jisung-ie, no matter what, the fans will always support you!

[+1380, -18] The insider information is really funny, did you really need them to repeat whatever Jisung's Instagram post already stated?

[+922, -59] Who's the other party though? JM? Could it be a Jimin? There are a lot of Jimin's promoting now

      [+717, -9] If Jisung doesn't want to reveal who it is then don't speculate. Live your life more usefully!!

[+813, -11] I always thought Jeno would get married first since he's older...

      [+525, -128] What are you talking about, Jeno is married to me already

            [+323, -0] The commenter above me, please wake up

**Author's Note:**

> wow thanks for making it till the end! 
> 
> this has been quite a bit of a change from the usual fluff/crack i go for, so i hope i did it justice.  
> this fic honestly took a huge turn from what i initially conceptualised it to be (i scrapped at least 70% of the plot, even the characters) and it was supposed to be about two sad souls coming together to find a home in each other. i _really_ went off tangent there heh. honestly the only things that remained were how mona met and them getting engaged, and the storyline became... this :') you can probably tell i have quite a fair bit of residual feelings for this fic, but i'll just end here before i get too carried away!
> 
> hope y'all enjoyed it! ♡ 
> 
> also, i have a [cc](http://curiouscat.me/allthelines), feel free to share any ideas you have about jaesung with me there, or just nudge me to write!! c:


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